What made Poplin & Co.’s first store opening so on-brand

Local fashion brand Poplin & Co. just opened the doors to its first retail store in Vancouver.

Antonio Krezic and Shadi Ahmadisagheb launched the company back in 2018. The husband-and-wife duo began their entrepreneurial journey together by selling colourful printed clothing (designed by Ahmadisagheb) online, and later branched into holding pop-up events and building partnerships. Wholesale quickly grew into a large chunk of Poplin’s business (50 percent, according to Ahmadisagheb), with customers finding its products in local stores like 8th and Main and Zebraclub.  

“We’ve been dreaming of having a retail store since we first started Poplin and finally opening one up feels like starting all over again in an exhilarating way,” Ahmadisagheb says.

It may have taken a few years to find a permanent home, but the brand has done an excellent job of carving out its niche in the community. And there were a few things that helped make Poplin’s launch very on-brand.

Colour

The Poplin store on 748 East Broadway is a small space with racks full of the brand’s original, colourful designs. Ahmadisagheb hand-draws the patterns herself and then gets them printed and manufactured overseas. She doesn’t shy away from bright, bold colours and feels confident releasing a handful of “safe prints” (like stripes and polka dots) alongside wilder prints in each new line. 

“Over the years, we learned what does good and what doesn’t,” she says. There are some things customers even expect from Poplin now—mushrooms, pineapples and bananas are never going out of style for this retailer. 

Collaborations

Poplin has some solid friends in the community, and this was made abundantly clear at the launch party: visitors were spotted sipping on Edna’s cocktails and nibbling on goodies from Balkan Bakery, while tables and surfaces were decorated with homeware, accessories and gifts from B.C. brands like Lavoh, Studio Eighteen and Nanaimo Estudio.

Community

Early on, it appears as though the neighbourhood has welcomed the brand. “We probably made more connections in the last 10 days than we did in the last six years of running our business as a wholesaler,” Ahmadisagheb says.

The founders spent a lot of time scouting for spots and settled on Fraser and Broadway because they wanted a community-focused vibe. And they seem to have made the right decision because nearby businesses have already come through with gifts, greeting cards and referrals.

“We never had retail experience and didn’t know what to expect,” Ahmadisagheb adds. “We felt supported and like part of a community that cared about one another.”